PSNI is doing great work in spite of over-stretched resources — but Brexit will bring added pressure

THE PSNI have been in the news quite a lot recently with regard to the great work its officers are doing throughout our communities.

They recently reached one million social media followers across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

That is a great achievement, considering it is about 54% of the population ofthiscountry.

And anyone that does follow the police on social media will agree that they are utilising it very effectively to reach out to those they serve and protect.

The Police Service has also called on the Treasury to give it funding to train an additional 400 officers to deal with policing the Irish border after Brexit.

A detailed business plan has been drawn up for the case, but the PSNI is being held up by the lack of an Executive minster to sign it off.

Contrast this with the Metropolitan Police in London, where a Freedom of Information request revealed that 39% of all recorded crime was solely dealt with over the phone, without an officer being sent out to investigate further.

Of that 39%, 79% were “assessed out”, meaning those crimes will not be investigated further due to a lack of evidence.

This includes crimes such as burglary, low-level assault, criminal damage and theft and, ultimately, means that a very significant amount of crime is solely being dealt with over the phone, with no physical follow-ups by police officers.

There are currently 6,605 PSNI officers, but the Patten Report recommended 7,500 officers plus a locally recruited, part-time complement of 2,000 officers for peacetime policing.

The lack of officers means that resources are being stretched thin as it is, even without considering the added pressure that Brexit will bring along with it. How long before the PSNI is also forced into dealing with crimes over the phone?

I would like to commend the PSNI for the job that it is doing in difficult circumstances, with the ever-present terrorist threat.

However, the police need our support if they are to continue to deliver not only the current service, but an enhanced level of policing that meets public expectation.

They need an Executive in place to give the organisation what it needs to adapt to changing circumstances, or for the UK Government to step in and appoint direct-rule minsters to enable the entirety of Northern Ireland to function.

ALAN CHAMBERS MLA UUP policing spokesperson